The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

On Sunday, May 21, 2023, the graduation ceremony was held in the Big Sandy Gym, and it was packed. The Class of 2023 walked in slowly, at first, to the band playing Pom and Circumstance. Superintendent Dan Schrock gave a heartfelt welcome before he introduced the parents of the Salutatorian Lance Rutledge. After Lance's speech, Dan Schrock introduced the parents of the Valedictorian, Angela Sant. Marla Ray was chosen as this year's speaker by the class. The following is taken from her speech.

"Most of you will be packing up and moving on in a short while. Among everything else, I hope you will pack these five things with you:

1. I want you to say. 'MY OPINION MATTERS' But remember, so does the person on either side of you, as well as behind you and in front of you.

2. So you need to have the proper PERSPECTIVE: As Atticus Finch so wisely stated in To Kill a Mockingbird, "You never really know a person until you consider things from their point of view-until you climb into their skin and walk around in it." Don't prejudge (or as the popular term nowadays goes). Don't "hate" someone for their opinion or actions. Rather, armed with facts, [first: the FACTS], as well as your own opinions and beliefs, be ready to ... 3. STAND AND DEFEND. As much as it is important to add your voice in agreement, remember that it is not wrong to disagree! Again, your opinion matters. We are counting on you, our future leaders and fellow citizens, to do all that you can to help this great country not continue to go down this treacherous path which includes NOT being able to use gender-specific nouns and pronouns, or having to provide for and accept the actions of a human being who now identifies as an animal, or allowing a lackadaisical, even disrespectful view of patriotism, or the condemnation of Christianity -the religion on which this country was founded. Think about the country you want when YOUR children come into it. One of the things I have loved about you as a class is your patriotic spirit. Seriously, this group will stand and sing our National Anthem at the drop of a hat. Or stand and say the Pledge of Allegiance with true passion in their voices. Remember that you will soon begin voting in elections of state and national importance. Never think that your one vote doesn't matter. This is still the very best country in the world, in my opinion, in which to live. From my perspective of 70 years, we are without a doubt blessed to live here with so many guaranteed freedoms and rights. Why else would our

borders continue to be crashed by thousands upon thousands of people wanting to come and live here? I pray that everything you learned about our Constitution and Bill of Rights this year continues to inspire you to stand and defend our one nation under God."

4. "Next, take your CONFIDENCE with you. Oh, wait-underneath these brave facades, maybe you're not feeling all that confident, maybe a little bit shaky, a little nervous or even a little scared?? Then cover yourself with the Lord's confidence in you. Never forget that the Creator of the universe only made ONE of you – no one else has your DNA, no one else has your fingerprints, no one else's irises match yours. HOW EXTRAORDINARILY UNIQUE and WONDERFUL that makes each of you! Don't be afraid to try new things or to move out of your usual comfort zone. Put your best foot forward and figure that if you do make a mistake, you won't then just quit, give up, or act like you don't care, or just shrug it off. Enough of you are talented athletes and wonderful musicians who all know that "mistakes are a given" – how you handle them is what builds character. When you do make a mistake, stop and reflect: What went wrong? What will make it right? How do I improve and move forward? And then you MAKE yourself do the next right thing. If you don't, fear of repeating a mistake will soon set in. Your confidence begins to wane. Then the devil whispers, "Failure" in your ear. Don't believe him, don't settle for his lies. Remember the words: "You say I am strong when I'm feeling weak...and I believe what you say of me!" Fear is a stumbling block that constantly wants to hold us back. For sure, there ARE some things you are right to fear: Meth, STDs, complete stranger's motives, and being alone in a situation that could get out of hand. When the hairs on the back of your neck or the little voice in your head say, "Not a good idea," listen to the warning. "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." That little voice is coming from the one who loves you more than all of these people gathered here do."

5. "BE READY! When I yelled, "Rusty, lights!" in 30 seconds you formed a solid barrier against a hypothetical crazy who wanted to harm you. Sure, it was just my idea of a necessary safety drill, but I wanted you to see how effective your actions can be when you work together for the good of all in the face of evil. Unfortunately, our world has a lot of crazy and evil things in it. Be ready! But – our world has a whole lot of good in it, too.

Look out into this crowd---see the faces you know and love? Look beyond your family. For most of you, the vast majority of these faces are people you know personally. And they feel they know you – there's a connection. That's why they are all here today – FOR YOU! To congratulate you!

To celebrate YOU! Your family, relatives, friends, elementary through high school teachers, staff, coaches, underclassmen, job supervisors, girlfriends, boyfriends...They have cheered for you on the football field; the volleyball and basketball courts; at wrestling, track, and swim meets; after solos, ensembles and band and choir performances; they have challenged you with higher learning problem-solving, science labs, historical and current event discussions; they have urged you and encouraged you to discover and grow your athletic talents as well as your artistic talents, your speaking abilities, your writing abilities, your leadership skills, your practical knowledge, your competitive side your faith. They have greeted you in the halls with smiles and good mornings, fed you breakfast and lunch, and worked alongside you. They all care about you! Take this mental snapshot, this slice of small-town Montana, with you, regardless of where life takes you. This IS where you've come from."

After this, everyone's favorite part of the program started, the pictures of each senior at various ages in a PowerPoint presentation. It had the saying, the pictures, and the music each student picked out to go along with their thank you's.

Dan Schrock announced each senior, and Darin Genereux and Kelly Rutledge presented diplomas.

In the end, graffiti rockets were used by the graduating seniors, with graffiti going everywhere.

The class motto was, "Life is effort, and I'll stop when I die," by Jerry Smith. The Class colors were Purple and white, and the Class Flower was the Daffodil.

Surrounding the outside of the gym were displays of each graduate decorated by the families celebrating each student's life.

This year's junior honor guard was Lane Demontiney and Lainey Terry.